Wind loads on fixed-tilt, ground-mounted solar PV racking systems

Wind loads on fixed-tilt, ground-mounted solar PV racking systems depend mainly on parameters such as tilt angle and row spacing. Perimeter rows and array columns are generally subjected to higher wind loads than panels in the array interior which benefit from sheltering effects.

Resonant dynamic effects due to buffeting are also observed in fixed-tilt, ground-moun­ted PV arrays. The effect generally decreases with increasing downwind dis­tance from the first row. Due to higher design wind speeds the dynamic self-excitation is generally less pronounced than for photovoltaic tracking systems, but it also depends on natural frequency and damping ratio.